DOJ issues new subpoenas in Alaska Senate race and amends civil suit over voter-confusion claims
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The Justice Department has issued additional subpoenas targeting Democratic officials in the Alaska Senate contest and filed an amended civil complaint seeking to block certification of the results if incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, citing a alleged scheme to confuse voters.
The Justice Department announced a new round of subpoenas in the ongoing criminal investigation of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race. The subpoenas focus on Democratic officials believed to be involved in efforts to recruit a candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan, whose name could appear on the ballot alongside incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. No charges have been filed against anyone in the race.
The department also amended its civil lawsuit, which seeks to prevent certification of the election results should Sen. Sullivan lose, arguing that the presence of a second Dan Sullivan could cause voter confusion. The amended filing, referencing a recent New York Times report, describes the situation as a “conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
"Although what the New York Times reports is not always true, its reporting here aligns with what the United States has been alleging on information and belief. It also aligns with common sense," the complaint states.
Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied any involvement in the recruitment effort. Daniel J. Sullivan has previously said he is genuinely interested in running.
A Justice Department official told reporters that activity surrounding the Alaska race had increased significantly in the past 24 hours and outlined possible investigative steps, including preservation requests to tech firms, search warrants for electronic communications, and grand-jury subpoenas. The official identified two civil-rights statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 and 242, as potential bases for prosecution, noting they address conspiracies to interfere with federally protected voting rights and willful deprivation of rights under color of law.
The official referenced the federal prosecution of Douglass Mackey, whose 2016 election-interference conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court in 2025, and said the department had not identified any confirmed cases of Alaska voters mistakenly casting ballots for the wrong Dan Sullivan.
"I think I've not heard of that, but it's hard to tell exactly," the official said when asked about voter confusion.
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation by Alaska’s Department of Public Safety to determine whether the alleged recruitment effort violated state law. The DOJ’s civil suit, filed by the Trump administration, argues that the candidate’s presence breaches the National Voter Registration Act and seeks court intervention under the Supremacy Clause to enforce the law.
President Trump, who has criticized the ballot situation, said he had urged officials to act, stating, "Well, I'm the one that said, 'Do it.'"